Written Answers Monday 2 October 2006

Scottish Executive

Alcohol and Drug Misuse

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy that residential in-patient facilities for treating patients with serious alcohol and drug dependency problems should be part of the range of provision in each NHS board area and, if so, what action it is taking to ensure that NHS boards make use of existing facilities and, where necessary, create new ones.

Lewis Macdonald: It is for each of the 22 Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs) to determine the range and availability of services at local level. Record levels of funding are being made available in 2005-06 and 2006-07 by the Executive to support the expansion of treatment and rehabilitation services, and the detail of what is now available locally can be found on the ISD Scotland website at

  http://www.drugsmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

Alcohol and Drug Misuse

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been conducted to compare the success of residential in-patient facilities for treating patients with serious alcohol and drug dependency problems with other ways of treating these patients and what conclusions any such research has reached.

Lewis Macdonald: The Health Economics Research Unit study of effective and cost effective measures to reduce alcohol misuse reviewed UK and international research on the effectiveness of interventions. This review notes that all studies need to be interpreted with caution and that more research is needed about the effectiveness of different treatment settings in a UK context. The review is available at:

  http://www.alcoholinformation.isdscotland.org/alcohol_misuse/files/MeasureReduce_Full.pdf.

  A large amount of research has been conducted both in the UK and internationally which compares, or enables comparison of, the effectiveness of residential treatment with community-based treatments for drug addictions. The Scottish Executive is currently undertaking a review of the available evidence, to inform policy.

Broadcasting

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of producing and placing online the podcasts on (a) the Sports Summit at Stirling University, (b) schools to junk junk food and (c) the Athletes Commission for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Mr Tom McCabe: The filming and production of all video content on the web is part of the normal remit of the web team at St Andrew’s House. Regular webcasts of ministerial events have been produced since August 2002 and made available through the main Executive website. Podcasting is an additional means of distribution.

  The podcasting service was developed in-house and incurs no additional production costs.

Equal Opportunities

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the One Scotland councillor recruitment advertisement gives only a website address as the point of contact and whether it considers that this discriminates against individuals who do not have internet access but who might wish to find out more about becoming a councillor.

Mr Tom McCabe: The website provides general information on becoming a councillor and the new remuneration package. This information, plus specific detail about the local situation, is available from local authorities. The website was planned to be complemented by a telephone information line. The information line has now been set up, the contact number is 0131 244 7039 and this information will be quoted as appropriate in future publicity.

Health

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken into the effects of (a) noise, (b) air, (c) water, (d) soil and (e) chemical pollution on pregnant women and what the results of any such studies were.

Lewis Macdonald: The Chief Scientist’s Office of the Scottish Executive Health Department has funded a study of environmental risk factors for congenital eye defects in children of women exposed to pesticides and pollutants. The tentative conclusion was that genetic factors were the most important cause of the eye defects.

  The Scottish Executive Health Department maintains an overview of these public health issues and takes advice on the health effects of environmental factors on all sectors of the Scottish population from a number of relevant agencies including the Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland, and expert committees including the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment.

Health Department

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many intensive therapy unity (ITU) beds there are per head of population, broken down by NHS board.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Mr Andy Kerr: Table 1 shows information on the average available staffed beds in intensive care units per 100,000 population by NHS board for the year ending 31 March 2006.

  It should be noted that these rates are not strictly comparable. They do not take account of cross boundary flows between NHS boards. Patients are not restricted to using NHS services within their own NHS board area.

  Table 1, NHS Scotland – Average Available Staffed Beds in Intensive Care Units per 100,000 Population; Year Ending 31 March 2006P

  

Scotland1
3.5


Argyll and Clyde
2.2


Ayrshire and Arran
2.5


Borders
3.6


Dumfries and Galloway
4.0


Fife
2.8


Forth Valley
2.5


Grampian
3.4


Greater Glasgow
5.4


Highland
3.3


Lanarkshire
2.5


Lothian
4.2


Orkney
-


Shetland
-


Tayside
2.6


Western Isles
-



  PProvisional.

  Note: 1. Information for Golden Jubilee National Hospital is included in the Scotland total.

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) lowest, (b) highest and (c) average discount has been granted to tenants who purchased their home through right-to-buy in each local authority area, expressed in monetary terms.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Malcolm Chisholm: The table below contains the minimum, maximum and mean discounts granted between 1979 quarter 2 and 2006 quarter 1, to tenants who purchased their home through right to buy, broken down by local authority. Data are adjusted to 2006 prices.

  Discounts Granted to Tenants Purchasing their Home Through Right-to-Buy (2006 Prices)

  

Local Authority Area
Right-to-Buy (Old Terms)
Right to Buy (Modernised)


Mean (£)
Minimum (£)
Maximum (£)
Mean (£)
Minimum (£)
Maximum (£)


Scotland
22,533
23
156,213
13,114
1,574
20,971


Aberdeen City
27,398
62
76,517
14,436
9,189
15,735


Aberdeenshire
20,943
1,398
75,000
12,851
4,600
18,330


Angus
19,663
1,990
51,000
11,400
1,990
16,240


Argyll and Bute
22,418
3,590
63,000
13,497
10,647
15,315


Clackmannanshire
22,277
694
60,600
N/A
N/A
N/A


Dumfries and Galloway
18,538
222
44,924
12,016
9,808
15,315


Dundee City
22,688
1,533
63,000
12,870
6,984
15,315


East Ayrshire
18,816
2,949
64,200
11,987
6,126
19,465


East Dunbartonshire
26,495
1,512
108,000
14,428
11,250
15,315


East Lothian
27,669
860
114,000
15,273
15,000
15,735


East Renfrewshire
24,108
1,892
60,035
14,253
13,650
15,000


Edinburgh
27,384
298
156,213
13,345
7,279
15,315


Eilean Siar
17,131
1,504
42,770
9,336
9,336
9,336


Falkirk
21,244
1,296
110,250
12,596
7,000
15,315


Fife
18,960
23
93,000
13,014
4,302
15,735


Glasgow
26,582
781
99,548
13,804
1,574
15,735


Highland
20,101
806
78,311
13,732
8,076
20,971


Inverclyde
21,446
1,269
53,369
N/A
N/A
N/A


Midlothian
26,897
4,021
86,400
13,296
7,552
15,315


Moray
20,291
2,501
64,323
12,254
8,985
15,870


North Ayrshire
18,873
172
57,000
12,806
8,800
17,309


North Lanarkshire
21,445
93
64,500
12,993
7,200
15,315


Orkney
18,821
4,810
41,325
N/A
N/A
N/A


Perth and Kinross
21,850
3,942
66,500
13,561
8,985
15,735


Renfrewshire
24,099
590
58,100
12,635
6,412
15,735


Scottish Borders
19,170
1,630
73,500
12,938
8,686
15,540


Shetland
23,360
3,571
52,800
15,000
15,000
15,000


South Ayrshire
21,698
1,605
74,813
14,403
9,450
15,420


South Lanarkshire
22,204
1,080
61,200
12,509
1,888
15,735


Stirling
23,812
1,692
85,764
13,891
11,500
15,735


West Dunbartonshire
25,111
2,700
72,000
13,207
6,670
15,735


West Lothian
20,584
28
114,000
14,706
12,436
15,315



  Source: Scottish Executive Housing Statistics branch.

  Notes:

  1. For this analysis, the amount of each discount was converted to 2006 prices using the UK GDP deflator. The GDP deflator is a measure of inflation across the whole domestic economy.

  2. Cases where no discount was granted have been excluded from the analysis.

  3. In some local authorities, there have not yet been any sales under modernised right to buy. This is indicated by N/A (not applicable).

  4. By definition, the maximum and minimum discounts represent data outliers, or atypical extreme values, and should be interpreted with caution.

  5. Right-to-buy sales are subject to modernised terms as of 30 September 2002.

NHS Hospitals

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire with regard to the provision of visitor transport services for patients who are admitted to Hairmyres Hospital or Wishaw General Hospital as a result of the downgrading of accident and emergency services at Monklands Hospital.

Lewis Macdonald: Transport is a significant issue which NHS boards must take into account in the design and delivery of local health services. When submitting a proposal for a service change, boards are expected to have fully assessed the impact of the proposed changes on the travel arrangements of patients, carers, visitors and staff. We therefore required NHS Lanarkshire to carry out a full transport needs assessment as part of the consultation process on the redesign of services in NHS Lanarkshire.

  I was aware of the level of concern that was raised during NHS Lanarkshire’s consultation process about transport issues and in particular about the difficulties for relatives and other visitors in travelling from the Monklands area to Wishaw and Hairmyres. I questioned the board about these matters at their Annual Review, and subsequently I required them to give me an assurance that a shuttle bus service will operate between Monklands and the other two hospital sites. This service will be available for the use of patients, relatives and staff and will be in place by the time Accident and Emergency provision changes at Monklands Hospital.

  More generally, we are establishing Transport for Health sub-groups in each of our three Regional Planning Groups to bring together NHS boards and their transport planning partners, including the Scottish Ambulance Service, local authorities and community transport providers, to allow them to develop innovative, integrated transport solutions that will provide better access to health care facilities for patients, carers, visitors and staff. NHS Lanarkshire will play a full part in the West of Scotland Partnership.

Renewable Energy

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made to revise National Planning Policy Guideline: NPPG 6 - Renewable Energy Developments to bring it in line with the Executive’s policy on micro-renewables.

Malcolm Chisholm: Draft Scottish Planning Policy 6: Renewable Energy was published on 10 July. In support of the Executive’s policy on micro-renewables, the draft specifically seeks views on the introduction of a target for a percentage of on site generation from micro-renewables technologies in certain new developments. The closing date for responses to the draft is 6 October 2006.

  The Executive is due to publish the first Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Strategy and Action Plan for Scotland by the end of the year. This will look at the contribution that micro-generation and energy efficiency can play in helping us to meet our climate change targets.

St Andrew's Day

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to which Scottish organisations it sends greetings on St Andrew’s Day.

Mr Tom McCabe: A message will also be sent out to the Global Friends of Scotland and the Globalscot networks. A greeting will be included in the St Andrew’s Day edition of Scotland Now which will be released on Thursday 30 November. Scotland Now is a quarterly e-magazine that is distributed to Diaspora, alumni and people who have an affinity to Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive sends out a St Andrew’s Day message to all Foreign and Commonwealth Office embassies and consulates.